Indians Prospect Insider

The Indians have had one of the most amazing seasons that has largely gone unnoticed by Cleveland fans. They have proven to be the ultimate team because there is no true superstar carrying them and instead they have enjoyed success this season because of the strength of the roster from 1 through 25. Tony looks at the roster and organization and says the entire group is the MVP this season, and he also looks at the closer situation, all of the possible wildcard scenarios going into the last day, predicts the postseason roster and more.

They started from the bottom now they’re here! The hottest team in all of baseball was at it again Saturday afternoon in Minneapolis, as the Tribe took down the Twins 5-1 to win their ninth straight. With the victory, Cleveland now sits in the driver’s seat up one game in the American League wild card race where they control their own destiny. The IBI's Jim Berdysz shares his second thoughts on the big Tribe win...

The Cleveland Indians surpassed the 90-game win mark on Saturday as they topped the Minnesota Twins 5-1. Scott Kazmir received the start for the Indians, and the lefty tossed six innings of stellar ball as the Indians clinched at least a tie for the wildcard and ensure that their season cannot end on Sunday.

Right now as we prepare for this year's wild card one-and-done games or even one-and-done tiebreaker play in games, it's interesting to note that the Indians are not foreigners to this experience (while most of us may not remember). IBI history guru Rick Lamborn takes us down memory lane to 1948, the last year the Indians won a World Series, and recalls how the Indians had to go to Fenway for a one game playoff to determine the AL pennant and get into the playoffs.

While a team’s number of wins doesn’t necessarily dictate how they’ll fare in the playoffs, it still is a symbol of success, particularly to a ball club that doesn’t see the luxury of 90-plus wins very often. For the Indians, it’s a milestone as they now have reached the 90-win mark for the first time since their last playoff run in 2007. Join the IBI's Jake Dungan as he recaps the Tribe's 12-6 blowout win over the Twins.

Jason Kipnis fell a home run short of the cycle and the Cleveland lineup had 17 hits as the Indians beat the Minnesota Twins 12-6 Friday night. With the win and Tampa Bay's loss at Toronto, the Indians are now tied with the Rays for the two American League wild-card spots. Texas remains one game out after beating Los Angeles.

There are just three days left in the regular season, which essentially means the Indians could be a mere three days away from advancing to the postseason for the first time since the 2007 season. The 2007 team was a great team but ultimately fell short of achieving its goal of winning a World Series. Could this year's team fare better? Join the IBI's Steve Orbanek as he continues to compare this year's team to the 2007 one in the latest edition of Orbiting Cleveland.

Join Cleveland Sports Insiders' Jim Pete and Michael Hattery as they tackle several important topics for the Cleveland Indians as the final week of the season heads into overdrive. Is Chris Perez going to be a clubhouse nuisance if he's removed as closer? Who will start the final game of the season, and who will start the playoff game, and is Michael Brantley the smartest player on the Indians' roster? Tune in to our new "podcast," and let us know what you think?

The young Indians were back in action on Wednesday afternoon and ventured over to Surprise to take on the Rangers young prospects in another Fall Instructional League game. The Indians came out on top 6-5 and had several noteworthy performances, of note from outfielder Josh McAdams. The IBI's Arthur Kinney recaps the game with the results for each player that participated in the game.

This team is a collection of castoffs and a collection of misfits which has provided a scrapbook full of moments. No player, no person has been indispensable, they have all been indispensable. That once again proved to be the case on Thursday night as several different players contributed on offense and several pitchers combined to shut the Twins down (before Chris Perez came in) to notch win #89 for the Indians. The IBI's Michael Hattery shares his second thoughts...

After Chris Perez suffered a second implosion in as many outings, Joe Smith struck out Oswaldo Arcia to end Minnesota's ninth inning rally as the Cleveland Indians beat the Twins 6-5 Thursday night. With the win, the Indians maintain their position in the American League wild-card race. Texas stayed within a game of Cleveland after a walkoff home run by Jurickson Profar.

The Rule 5 Draft is about ten weeks away, but here is a current up-to-date listing showing the eligible Indians' minor leaguers for the 2013 Draft in December. This list is housed for quick reference in the "Reference" section along the top below the site banner and listed under the "Rule 5 Draft" heading.

The IBI's Jeff Ellis has often wondered where the top starting pitchers in baseball come from. Do they come from the draft or internationally? Do they come from college or high school? Is there any rhyme or reason to it all or is there really no such thing as a starting pitching prospect (TINSTAAPP)? He came up with some data which he believes helps answer that question and why the Indians may be a prime position for the 2014 Draft.

Playoff fever in Cleveland. It’s not often that the words ‘playoff’ and ‘Cleveland’ are mentioned in the same sentence. Yet the Indians have defied all odds and put together a magical season on their way to a potential wild card berth. With a 7-2 win over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday night, the Tribe improved their record to 88-70. Join the IBI's Jake Dungan as he gives his thoughts on the game.

The last time Chicago beat the Tribe, Danny Salazar was in Double-A Akron. For the 14th consecutive time Tuesday night, the Indians took down Central Division rival White Sox, 7-2. Having won six straight, the team finishes with a record of 17-2 against the ChiSox tying the most victories versus an opponent in the division era. More importantly, they retained their one game lead over Texas for the final wildcard spot.

Last week Tony posted the first piece year end insider piece on the Indians minor league affiliates with a look at the rookie level AZL Indians hitters. This week he once again sat down with Indians Assistant Director of Player Development Carter Hawkins to get the organization’s thoughts on the performance/development of some of the pitchers there this season such as Kieran Lovegrove, Mitch Brown, Sean Brady, Juan Santana, Casey Shane, Anthony Vizcaya, Thomas Pannone, Luis Gomes, Kyle Bellows, Jordan Milbrath, Jose Zapata and Martin Alcantara.

In one five minute span of baseball, the Cleveland Indians went from the high of being three outs away from winning their fifth game in a row, to giving up a ninth inning lead and watching the Astros fall behind the Rangers. Another Cleveland implosion. Then something funny happened. Jason Giambi stepped up to the plate and launched the biggest home run at Progressive Field in recent memory...and the Indians won. Join Jim Pete as he looks at the two players that put the entire town in their own personal roller coaster.

Tuesday night will go down as one of the more memorable finishes in the 20 year history of Jacobs/Progressive Field. Given the circumstances and what had just transpired in the top of the ninth inning, pinch hitter Jason Giambi sent all of Cleveland into a mardi gras like celebration with a clutch two-out two-run homer to give the Indians the win. The IBI's Michael Goodman shares his second thoughts on an amazing come from behind win and avoid a devastating loss the final week of the season.

There are moments in baseball that make you believe something special is happening, especially in a pennant chase. For the Indians, their most special player just may be a 42-year old with a .181 batting average. With the Tribe trailing 4-3 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, pinch hitter Jason Giambi took White Sox closer Addison Reed deep for a game-winning walk-off homer to give the Indians a remarkable 5-4 win.

Available IBI Books

The 2014 Cleveland Indians Baseball Insider book featuring the Indians' Top 100 Prospects and more is now available. Also, previous editions from 2008-2012 are also available at a discounted rate. Just click on the book image for more information. Thanks again for all the support!